Thanks for your response. So much of your concerns mirror our experiences - dummying down (although I call it social adaptation) and being engrossed with imaginative play - but I know our DD's are different from each other. My DD is not shy and does not sit still. She's supremely active - gives most boys a run for their money. Also, I think your DD is PG and I don't know that my DD is.

I've shied away from an academic setting, mostly because DD needs full body, experiential learning and I worried she'd get in trouble and have her wings clipped by an environment that didn't have a large dose of exercise in the mix. (Although books are her favorite thing, sitting and listening at the library story hour never was her thing... she'd rather climb the stacks and read at home.)

DD cried (for the first 5 minutes) when I left her at her preschool until just 3 months ago. Yesterday she said bye in the morning, hopped in the car with dad, came home 9 hours later, said Hi and sat down to dinner. She didn't miss me at all! I was so excited! So she's in this new school of 3 year olds for two 8 hour days. I'd consider full time if we could afford it and there was space available... we'll see how the first two months go, then I could ask grandma for some subsidy I guess.

The reason I was underwhelmed by their plan was that they read the 3 year olds chapter books "because we don't limit what they are able to understand," let them get super dirty, promote exploration, take them on field trips, have them exercise, let them play outdoors at least half the time, and they give them adult food to eat. I do all that. They don't focus on reading or academic skills. We don't push that, but I thought they might.

Last night I tried to interview DD about her experience. She didn't make new friends, she talked to the teachers. "The other kids don't talk much," she said. My heart sank. I know she's rather quiet around other 3 year olds, but this concerned me. A the parent teacher conference I had tried to warn the teacher that DD has a very advanced vocabulary and hangs out with 10 year olds, but she pointed out that there are other good reasons to be wih other 3 year olds. I see some wisdom in that, but... (feedback needed on this)

The good news is, DD can advance through the other classrooms at her own pace. They might move her in with the 4 year olds or kindergarteners if she is ready. I think they have testing, too, but I'm not ready to ask.

The other thing is, DH is waiting to hear about a job 3000 miles away. If he takes it we will move in 1-2 months. So if nothing else, we'll test this out for that period of time. The new job would be in a major metropolitan area with many more school options than our little California town in the middle of nowhere.

Sorry this is so long.